Ram50

[JQmile]

Yep. I felt like an idiot for saying that crap. It just wasn't a good time for any of us and my apologies go out to the little nurse who had to deal with me.



:lolly: That's what I was hoping to hear.:Cheer:

Get it to run on fuel and medium boost and go from there...:cheer:

 

[Bodacious]

We've been busy with the plasma cutter. It has taken several hours to do the marking and cutting. All said and done, we removed approximately 42 lbs of material from the frame. I sure hope it doesn't break in half. I am a little disappointed that this much work only shed the 42 lbs. I do, however, believe I have more than made up for the added weight of the cage.

 

[stock600]

I did the opposite and reinforced the piss out of the frame because I knew what was coming for torque, Id think that you have weakened it to the point that it Will Fail. Just my opinion, I hope I'm wrong.

There's No torsional strength in that frame at all, at this point Id cut that stuff out and replace it with the correct CM tubing, that's a death trap at speed.......

Tucker

 

[f6jbob]

^^^^X2^^^^

 

[Bodacious]

I hope I'm wrong

lol. Yea, I hope you are wrong as well.

With the triangulation, the frame rails are now simple columns and/or tension beams. If they don't collapse under compression or pull apart under tension, they will be fine.

...anyhow, this may be the long way around to building a complete tube chassis. I want to give it a try anyway. LOL

 

[stock600]

Ya, and it would make a hell of a lot of diff. in what class you would or could run in If you end up taking this seriously to completion and end up racing with the NHRDA in seasons to come as well. Tech is taken a lot more serious these days, their races are run at NHRA tracks and the track most of the time will use their own techs which from my experience these days do a lot better and more thorough inspection than they used to. These rule book standards are put in place to save lives, I know you know this and wont harp on it; just made a comment and would love to see you have this out on the track at some point fast and safe!
Tucker

 

[Bodacious]

I came across a flanged & o-ringed 'soft plug' while surfing through posts the other day and I can't seem to find it again. It was a two bolt flange that replaced the soft plug in the rear of the block and it was tapped NPT with a fitting in it.

Why are these needed?

 

[Big Blue24]

Freeze plugs tend to blow out at high rpm and high engine load right around 80 to 120 MPH which equals instant traction loss with slicks in the rear. More than a handful of trucks have lost it and crashed due to freeze plug issues at the track.

The tapped NPT version allows for a coolant bypass to attempt to relieve some pressure from the back of the block/head area and allow it to vent up front in the cooling system.

 

[JQmile]

Keating Machine makes em....ones for the side too, cheap insurance. I blew the back one out even with my VE.

 

[Bodacious]

Hey, thanks Big Blue24 & JQ, sounds like I'll be calling keating once the holidays settle down.

Happy new year to everyone.

We have been very busy on the project since the Swiss Cheese post. After several days of grinding and cussing, I finally got all the slag cleaned from the inside of the holes. I know it doesn't sound like much, but, when you can't just hit it with the grinder when it's looking at you, the slag is tuff as $hit to get off the edge of the holes.

Anyway, after completing the slag removal, we spent several hours with a flapper wheel cutting down the rust and paint on the outside of the frame. Then, we painted it all black.

This is my choice for chassis finish.

We finished welded all the brackets and what not on the front and rear and re-installed everything. Then, put the newly painted cab back on.

YEEEEEHAAAWWWW!!!

We need to finish welding in the rear down bars and install some additional bracing.

 

[97$moker]

Lookin good, that cummins in that little thing is going to be a monster!

 

[Bodacious]

Thanks 97$moke.

Going back to the freeze plug issue. If a fella is going to run an electric water pump, would you still worry about them blowing out?

 

[dvst8r]

We did the better safe than sorry, and did both an electric water pump and secured the freeze plugs.

 

[Big Blue24]

You don't have to use billet freeze plugs to secure them, some guys "stake them in" with small screws, peen the edges, or other mechanical means of fasteners.

I myself went the cheap and easy route: cleaned up the block with a wire wheel and added a bead of JB Weld around the rim of each freeze plug.

 

[Bodacious]

Thanks Big Blue24. I like the JB weld idea. I may use epoxy instead of JB weld, however. This is most certainly a cheaper alternative to the also heavier billet plugs.

We completed the rear section of the cage and also added more bracing to the main part of the cage.

Looks like it is time to start the sheet metal work inside. I've never been good at this type of fab work so I've been dreading it.

The time has come to order a fuel cell and fuel pump & hardware. I know I'll be taking short trips to town & back. These trips would be around 15 or 16 miles and of course I'll be throwing the fuel at it from time to time on these trips to keep them fun.

Do you all think a 10 gallon cell will be enough? We also have numerous refueling stations in town so running out once I'm in there is no concern.

I read through the A1000 thread just moments ago and I'm pretty sure this is the pump route I will be going. One A1000 with a pre-filter very close to the cell and then a post filter and regulator right after the pump. From there, 10AN push lock hose to the P-pump.

On the regulator pressure, how much pressure should I be sending to the body of the P-pump?

Is a dual fuel inlet really necessary on the P-pump? If so, would I just Y the supply near the P-pump?

Does anyone know the thread size for the AN fittings that will thread into the P-pump?

Also, I don't think I'll run the voltage control deal with my pump. I'd just like to turn it on and let it pump.

Would you all recommend using a relay to power the pump or would a larger amp switch suffice?

I have a gauge tap fitting from the boys old airdog set-up that I'll plumb in line just before the P-pump.

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Cummins12Club]

Most ppl daul feed the pump with separate lines going to the tank, and 2 fule sustems, all the fuel cells I've ever seen have 2 fittings at the sump, so run separate lines to the pump, but alot of guys don't dual feed though. You want at least 10psi per every 1000 rpm you will be running, so 50pis at WOT at 5000rpm

 

[Bodacious]

Ok. I did a search and found another A1000 thread that was very informative. Looks as though the reg needs to be placed in the return line.

Would 50psi be OK for the pump housing?

 

[dvst8r]

-Y-ing it near the pump is a common practice with just one feed line.
-50psi pressure all the time is fine.
-M18X1.5 is the front port size so typically people do a male to male M18X1.5 to AN fitting.
- Even at only 20mpg a 5 gallon cell will give you 100miles. I wouldn't go any bigger than a 5 gallon, unless you plan on dd this.
- Always use a relay.
-There is an OFV on the back of the pump this is what regulates the pump pressure in stock configuration. If you are going to put an external regulator on then you would want to remove the OFV.
-A regulator goes on both the feed and the return, as it bypass's the pump when the preset pressure is reached.

I think that covers your questions.

 

[Big Blue24]

A heavier 10 gallon cell full of fuel is a "legal ballast" in case you need more weight in the rear to make it hook up.

When I'm out playing around on the street in my Junker Drag Truck, burnouts, drag racing, general hot rodding, it averages between 10 & 11 mpg. The few times I drove it down the highway to work, fuel economy was over 20mpg. I find the factory 30+ gallon tank burdensome and worry about diesel getting too old or going bad. To me, 8-15 gallon range sounds perfect in case you end up needing to street drive it back from a race event if say another rig breaks down and you no longer have a trailer for the street legal "race truck".

If my truck wasn't street legal, I'd be more apt to run a 5 gallon cell, unless of course I needed ballast.

 

[Teaspoon]

Project is turning out great! I really like the work on the cage it looks really good. Looks like the bender did an awesome job. Which model JD2 bender did you get? Is there anything you would've done differently on it (the bender)?